IP TAKE: Early childhood education has been a priority for this community funder throughout its various counties, so grant seekers may want to look into this priority area. They have plenty of resources and a tolerance for risk, so it is a great place for grant seekers to turn if they are launching a new nonprofit.

PROFILE: The Blue Grass Community Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life in Central and Eastern Kentucky and “help individuals, families, businesses, communities and nonprofit organizations establish charitable funds, guide their resources to support causes they care about, meet community needs and make a difference.” It was established by Irene and C.W. Sulier of Lexington, who created a permanent endowment for the foundation in 1967.

This is a funder that is solely dedicated to local causes and that understands the needs of the communities it serves. In a recent year, the foundation gave over $400,000 in competitive grantmaking dollars to nonprofits in Central and Eastern Kentucky. The foundation reported over $75 million in total assets in a recent financial quarter.

The grant opportunities and priorities vary from one region of Kentucky to the next; they are as follows:

Central Kentucky: literacy and early education ($2,500 to $10,000 grants)

New grant seekers are required to register on the funder’s website before applying for a grant. Each of these grantmaking programs is lead by local volunteers that are elected by the foundation’s board of directors to review funding requests and recommend grantees. Grant seekers can find the specific guidelines and applications for each grantmaking program on the funder’s grant opportunities page.

In addition to awarding grants, this community funder helps nonprofits grow and establish endowment funds and non-endowed charitable funds. It also helps new local nonprofits get off the ground with fiscal sponsorships that have a safety net while the nonprofits work toward tax-exempt status. GoodGiving.net is the online database it uses to connect nonprofits and donors.

General questions can be directed to the Lexington-based staff at 859-225-3343 or via email at info@bgcf.org. Grant seekers can also keep up with what the foundation has been doing lately in its news section.